The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw (13 page)

'Wait, it's not finished yet. The words are still forming.'

And sure enough, the paper revealed more for the girls to try and figure out.

Have you found your way yet? London is a big place for two small girls in the dark.

But fear not, for losing yourselves is the best way to find yourselves and become who you are truly meant to be.

Fear not of the dark, for you have light

Fear not of the water, for you can swim

Fear not of the heights, for you can jump

Fear not of the evil, for you are Watchers

The Guardian and the Mentors await your return with new found courage,

new found strength and new found passion for the work of Praxos.

'Well what's all that meant to mean?' sighed Lana, feeling as though the paper did nothing to help them.

But Emma smiled, 'It means that we shouldn't be afraid of anything. Whatever comes our way, we can rise above it all. Come on, let's go.'

'But go where? We don't even know that. We don't know how to get out.'

'Sure we do, we just have to keep going until the exit reveals itself, Lana.'

'I'm glad you've got the point of all this,' sighed Lana as she followed the light in front of her.

Two ladders later, Emma laughed as she pushed against the hatch and found it opened easily in her hands.

'See?' she said, 'I told you so,' she chuckled as Lana scrambled up the ladder after her.

'Wait,' she said, 'Don't step out yet... your light. You need to switch it off.'

'I'm not a light switch, Lana,' laughed Emma.

'You know what I mean.'

Extinguishing the bright light just as she pushed the hatch open, Emma let out a low groan as she realised they were simply going from one to tunnel to another.

'What? What is it?' asked Lana as they both emerged into the darkness once again.

'Switch it back on please Emma,' she sighed.

About two hours later, the girls had followed five different tunnels and had climbed about 30 different ladders until eventually, they came out into fresh air.

Laughing out loud as they emerged, the two had barely climbed out before they realised they weren't at street level but were far higher than they'd imagined. Somehow they were standing on the rooftop of a particularly high building in the centre of the city, with no apparent way down.

'Right, I guess it's over to you now Sis,' said Emma as she sat down to catch her breath back as she took a swig of the water from her bag.

Handing it to Lana, she looked around, mesmerised by the view. Lights were beginning to switch on throughout the city as dusk began to settle in.

'It's impressive, isn't it?' asked Lana as she joined her sister on the floor. 'Look, there's Big Ben, the wheel, the Gherkin. You can see for miles up here.'

'Yeah but don't you think it's a bit weird how we got here? I mean, we were in tunnels under London all this time. At no point in our walk did it look like we were in a building, yet here we are, climbing out on the top of one?'

Emma nodded, 'It is bizarre, but the past few weeks have been bizarre haven't they? We're children of angels, for goodness sake. Our real parents are either dead or upstairs - whatever that means. We've got special powers, we're doing some weird initiation thing for a weird foundation that we were destined to belong to. It's all got weird written all over it,' she sighed.

'We met some cute guys though,' laughed Lana.

Emma laughed loudly and nodded, 'They are super cute aren't they?'

'And I noticed you already seem to have bonded with that Diarmuid guy. Cute.'

Emma playfully punched her sister on the shoulder. 'You'd make a cute couple. I'm serious,' she said as they giggled.

'So do you and Liam. With him you'd be like a rocker chick or something and that's right up your alley,' Emma laughed.

'Yeah well maybe, we'll see.'

The girls sat quietly for a while, still taking in their surroundings when they heard Big Ben chime in the distance. It was 10pm already and almost dark.

'Have you decided how we're going to do this, Lana?'

Biting her lip, Lana shrugged, 'I guess we just have to take a leap of faith, literally. I just hope I'm strong enough to hold both of us,' she said swallowing hard.

'You will be, don't worry,' reassured Emma.

CHAPTER TWENTY

They waited until the city was as dark as it was going to get, which wasn't actually that dark considering all the millions of little lights that twinkled from all around. Luckily for the girls though, their building had no lights on it at all, and the area where they were going to jump looked almost pitch black.

'Are you ready?' asked Lana as she held tightly on to Emma's hand.

Nodding in response, Emma grabbed on to her sister's back while she swallowed hard.

'You can do this, Lana. It's up to you now. Fear not of heights, for you can jump.'

Listening to her words, Lana took a deep breath and leaped from the side of the building.

With the wind rushing through the girls' hair, their eyes began to water as Emma gripped tightly on to her sister's back. She caught her breath when she realised they didn't seem to be slowing down.

'Fear not of heights, for you can jump,' she shouted again when all of a sudden, they seemed to appear weightless. Emma let out a deep sigh of relief as Lana laughed out loud, the two floating the last few metres until they landed softly on the ground.

'I knew you could do it, Sis,' said Emma as she hugged Lana tightly and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

'For a split second there I didn't think we were going to make it. Thanks for having faith in me, Em. Right, where are we?' she said as they looked around in the darkness. 'Can you give us a little light please?'

Emma responded by letting her body very gently light up the area surrounding them. They'd landed within an inner courtyard, surrounded by tall brick walls and just one heavy looking wooden door in front of them.

Approaching the door, Lana turned the handle and it opened easily. With a grin she turned backwards, 'After you,' she said as Emma walked into the darkness. Her glow lit up what looked like an empty warehouse. Walking through it, they could hear the gentle trickle of water. That's when they noticed the curve of the floor. It wasn't flat, it seemed to be at an angle.

'I bet I know what's coming next,' whispered Emma as they continued walking. Turning the corner, they saw where the sound was coming from: a huge hole in the ground.

'Are we going to have to go down there?' breathed Lana as she screwed up her face. 'But I don't have the skills you have,' she said, panicking.

'I'm sure we'll be fine,' reassured Emma as she peered down the hole, lying on the floor. 'Its pretty dark, it's an underground river or stream or something. It does look like the only way out though.'

'Great, just what I wanted, to get freezing cold and my hair all wet. It's gonna go all frizzy.'

'We don't have a choice and your hair will be fine. Come on, let's get it over with.'

Sighing heavily, Lana watched as Emma carefully lowered herself into the water, her handbag slowly soaking it up. When she disappeared, Lana followed, screeching at the water temperature. Within moments her teeth were chattering.

'Hold on to me. If you start to struggle and we can't get any air, give me a tug. I know I can breathe for us both. I don't know how, I just know.'

Lana nodded with her eyes wide open, but she tried not to panic.

Taking a deep breath, they both ducked down under the water and began to swim, Emma lighting the way ahead. They followed the course of the river as it delved deeper and deeper below ground.

But after just a couple of minutes, Lana tugged on Emma's arm and she pointed upwards. It appeared that she wouldn't have to breathe for her sister after all. Swimming upwards towards a light, the girls eventually pulled themselves out of the freezing water into a large bright room.

Shivering, the two girls stood and shook off as much water as possible. With her teeth chattering, Lana looked pale, as if she might pass out.

'I have an idea,' said Emma as she gently placed her arms around her sister. Closing her eyes tightly, she began to concentrate.

'Close your eyes, Lana. This might get a bit bright.'

The sound of her teeth chattering together began to ease as Emma's light began to shine brighter and brighter, bringing with it an intense heat which warmed them both, lightly drying their clothes. Standing there for another ten minutes, Emma's light began to fade and they both opened their eyes.

'Are you okay?' Lana asked as Emma stumbled backwards slightly.

'Just a little weak, that's all,' she smiled. 'I'll be fine.'

A worried crease indented Lana's brow as she helped her sister sit down. 'Let's take a break. It looks like you need a rest.'

'I'm fine... honestly. Well, okay then, but just for ten minutes and then we should get moving.'

Leaning against the smooth plastered wall with their legs outstretched in front of them, Emma leaned her head backwards and closed her eyes temporarily while Lana looked around the room.

But it wasn't an ordinary room, it was more like a dilapidated hall with plaster peeling from the walls all around them. It was easy to see that it was once probably a grand hall, perhaps where the wealthy would dance and entertain themselves. Looking upwards, Lana noticed the fading grandeur of intricately sculpted plasterwork, cherubs with missing wings and beautiful ladies with only one arm or leg. Further down the hall were several large archways, partitioned off with huge pieces of board, clumsily nailed to the walls. Only one archway remained open, a once elegant large wooden door beneath it.

That's our way out, she thought as she too closed her eyes... just for a moment.

An eerie drifting sound made its way across the floor. The soft gentle strum of classical instruments pervaded her ears and she sighed, letting her head drop to one side in her slumber, Emma quietly slept beside her.

The sound continued. Violins, harpsichords and harps striking up music of a bygone era. Then the gentle chatter of conversation, the sound of feet moving across the floor, dancing to the rhythm of the music. Laughter permeated the room and intermingling odours of tobacco, sweat and perfume tickled her nostrils when suddenly she woke up. Eyes wide open, she looked around the hall expecting to see a scene from a party, one from long ago. But there were no sounds, no smells, nothing.

It was just a dream
, she thought as she gently tugged at Emma's arm.

'Emma? Emma?'

'Hm?' she mumbled as she came out of her snooze, pulling her knees up to her chest and sighing before she opened her eyes.

'Emma, it's time to go.'

Slowly opening her eyes, the sudden realisation of where she was hit her and she shivered.

'I thought I was asleep in bed, all cosy and warm. Bluh,' she said as Lana smiled.

'I know, I fell asleep too. You okay?'

She nodded as the two slowly stood up, stretched and dusted off their jeans.

'How long was I out?'

'I dunno, maybe twenty minutes or so?' Lana shrugged. 'Come on, let's find our way out of here. I noticed a door down here.'

Walking past the boarded up archways, Lana couldn't help but feel sad for the building.

As if reading her mind, Emma sighed, 'I bet it was really beautiful once.'

'I know, I dreamed about it when I nodded off. It was full of colour, deep azure blues and pinks covered these walls. Well, I dreamed they did anyway. It was used for balls with music played by harpists, violinists and harpsichordists, harpsichord players, whatever you call them,' she said.

'You've got one hell of an imagination, Lana,' laughed Emma as they reached the door.

Clearly it hadn't been used for a while. As they pushed against it, the door creaked and groaned, eventually opening just enough to let them pass through. On the other side was a massive curved staircase, opposite what appeared to be the main door to the building.

Choosing between the two, they decided to try and get outside, but the door was locked.

'Damn it,' tutted Lana as she leaned against a particularly dusty set of velvet curtains that hung on either side. 'Ew,' she shrieked when she realised it was covered in cobwebs.

'Get em off, get em off me,' she said dancing around trying to free herself from the sticky webs as Emma shook her head and tried not to laugh.

'Oh, Lana look out!'

But it was too late, Lana had bumped into a slender vase, knocking it to the floor with a smash.

'Eek, I hope that wasn't a family heirloom or something,' she said guiltily as she suddenly forgot all about the cobwebs in her hair, spotting something shiny lying among the broken pieces of porcelain.